Latest Texas Statistics Bolster Case for Campus Carry

by Michael Newbern on January 31, 2017

AUSTIN, TEXAS – The Texas Department of Public Safety has released its 2016 demographic data on Texas license to carry (LTC) holders, and for the third consecutive year, LTC holders of typical college age had their licenses revoked at a lower rate than did LTC holders twenty years older.

*A person age 18-20 can obtain a Texas LTC only if he or she is a member or veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.

Brian Bensimon, SCC’s Southwest regional director, commented, “Our opponents often claim that, because the average college student is much younger than the average license to carry holder, the statistics showing LTC holders to be responsible and law-abiding aren’t relevant to the debate over campus carry. However, this data from the Texas Department of Public Safety clearly shows that college-age license holders are just as law-abiding as their older counterparts.”

The Texas DPS statistics also show a continuing decline in the rate of revocations among young LTC holders. This is particularly noteworthy in light of the fact that the number of licenses issued to college-age applicants in 2016 represents a 66 percent increase from the year before. More Texans of typical college age are licensed to carry handguns than ever before, yet the rate of revocations among that age group is on the decline.

Mike Newbern, assistant director of public relations, suggested that the surge in young people getting licensed to carry contradicts recent claims that millennials aren’t interested in licensed concealed carry.

“It’s true that license applications are up across all age groups,” said Newbern, “but the fact that, over the past three years, the college-age demographic has seen an average annual increase 10 percent higher than the middle-age demographic typically associated with concealed carry suggests that maybe some of the surveys and man-on-the-street interviews touted by our opponents are no more accurate than were the polling data that mispredicted the recent presidential election.”

Newbern continued, “Most college campuses are notoriously hostile toward campus carry, so it stands to reason that the students, faculty, and staff who support it may be hesitant to make their voices heard. However, the fact that college-age Texans are getting licensed to carry in record numbers suggests that this group is interested in being able to protect themselves.”

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ABOUT STUDENTS FOR CONCEALED CARRY — Students for Concealed Carry (SCC) is a national, non-partisan, grassroots organization comprising college students, faculty, staff, and concerned citizens who believe that holders of state-issued concealed handgun licenses should be allowed the same measure of personal protection on college campuses that current laws afford them virtually everywhere else. SCC is not affiliated with the NRA or any other organization. For more information on SCC, visit ConcealedCampus.org or Facebook.com/ConcealedCampus. For more information on the debate over campus carry in Texas, visit WhyCampusCarry.com.